The contract was awarded to Lanford Brothers Inc. of Roanoke, Va. The work can begin as early as Aug. 1 and be completed by Nov. 29, 2014.

In Greensboro, the following bridges will be cleaned, repaired, resurfaced and repainted:

U.S. 220/Wendover Avenue over I-85;

Bessemer Avenue over U.S. 220/U.S. 70/U.S. 29;

Freeman Mill Road over West Lee Street and U.S. 29/70 A;

U.S. 421 North and U.S. 421 South over Alamance Creek; and

Wendover Avenue over U.S. 220.

The contract also includes preservation of the East Kivett Drive bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railway in High Point and the N.C. 150 bridge over an abandoned railroad in Summerfield.

The bridges’ driving surface will be rehabilitated using a technique called hydro-demolition. During this resurfacing process, the deteriorated concrete on the bridge deck will be removed in part using high-pressured water and the bridge will be resurfaced using high-strength concrete.

Hydro-demolition is more precise than traditional pavement removal with a jackhammer, and it reduces the potential for damage to the bridges. In addition, hydro-demolition is safer and faster than traditional demolition methods and minimizes the impact to traffic.

Crews will also repair any cracks in the concrete bridge support caps, then clean the bridge and paint the steel components with epoxy paint.

This bridge preservation project is a vital investment in the state’s transportation infrastructure. The work will improve the overall condition of the bridges and is expected to extend their lifespan by as much as 10 years.

This project is part of NCDOT’s $450 million state-funded bridge plan for 2011-13, which calls for preservation, repairs or replacement of bridges statewide. Under this plan, the department uses a preservation and rehabilitation approach when possible to make the best use of limited funds. Instead of just replacing bridges across the board, strategic improvements are made to extend the life span of existing bridges at a significant cost savings. This approach allows the department to improve the overall condition of bridges across the state and stretch the taxpayers’ dollars much further.

This project is one of 29 contracts totaling $107.5 million awarded by NCDOT in June for highway and bridge projects across North Carolina. NCDOT awarded the contracts to the lowest bidders, as required by state law. The bids received on the projects awarded came in about 9.1 percent, or $10.7 million, below NCDOT estimates.